The present disclosure relates to a charge control device, a charge control method, a program, and a system.
In recent years, as a power supply for mobile terminals such as a cellular phone or a notebook computer, secondary batteries which can be used repeatedly by being recharged have been widely used.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of global environmental protection and CO2 emission reduction, renewable power generation which utilizes natural power sources such as sunlight, wind power, and geothermal heat has attracted much attention. Because these natural power sources are changing every moment depending on natural conditions such as sunshine and wind, it is difficult to supply stable power. Thus, some attempts are being made to supply stable power by combining the natural power sources with secondary batteries to stabilize the output power.
Thus, secondary batteries are expected to be utilized in various fields. However, there is a problem in that a secondary battery deteriorates, and its battery voltage and capacity are reduced while charging and discharging of the battery are repeated.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-41883 discloses a power storage system which prevents charging of a power storage battery with an excessive current value for charge, and extends the life of the power storage battery. More specifically, according to the power storage system described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-41883, a time period during which charging amount increases in the power storage system is determined as a limiting time in which a current value for charge is limited, and the current value for charge during the limited time is calculated, on the basis of remaining capacity of a power storage battery, power pattern for load use, and forecast pattern of power generation. Therefore, charging with an excessive current value for charge is prevented, and extended life of the power storage battery can be achieved.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-88214 discloses a method which eliminates an influence of a heat source on a device as much as possible, and increases the life of the power storage battery as a power supply. More specifically, according to the method described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-88214, in an electronic device which has a plurality of rechargeable batteries, the temperatures and the remaining amount of charge in rechargeable batteries are detected; continuous drive times are calculated according to a result made by the detection; a rechargeable battery is selected based on the calculated continuous driving times; and power is supplied to a load in the electronic device from the selected rechargeable battery. Therefore, rechargeable batteries having an extended life can be achieved.